How to Use and Maintain a Garbage Disposal

You may be considering getting a garbage disposal or have moved into a house that already has one. You might wonder about the benefits of having a garbage disposal, and also the maintenance tasks associated with it. How should you use your garbage disposal correctly, and what maintenance do you need to carry out?

If you have never had a garbage disposal in your kitchen, you might wonder why they are so popular. Almost everyone in America has one! This site will detail what you can throw Down the Sinkand give you more useful information and reviews of garbage disposals.

Food Waste.

After every meal, you will be left with food scraps. This is just a fact of life. If you have your own garden, you can compost many of the scraps. But this does not include leftover cooked food. So, your alternatives are to throw it in the bin where it will be sent for landfill or to use a garbage disposal. A garbage disposal is, therefore, your greener choice for disposing of food waste.

Cleaning Up After a Meal.

The garbage disposal allows you to clean up faster after a meal. It is quick and easy to rinse the plates off in the sink and then switch on the garbage disposal. The waste food is quickly ground down and flushed away.

Use Small Pieces.

Be aware of the size of the garbage disposal pipe and consider the size of the waste that you are adding into your disposal. You also need to be aware of how powerful the motor and the blades are. With this in mind, make sure your waste is in fairly small pieces and add it a few bits at a time. This way you’re less likely to break or overtax your garbage disposal.

Use Your Garbage Disposal Correctly.

Garbage disposals are great when they work properly and they’re relatively simple to use but you do need to use it properly. If you follow these guidelines correctly your garbage disposal should last around 10 years.

Run the cold water for around 15 seconds before switching the garbage disposal on. Make sure you only add biodegradable food with cold water to your garbage disposal. Once the grinding has stopped, turn the machine off but let the water run for 30 seconds.

Ensure you use your garbage disposal regularly and keep it clean. Even if you don’t have anything to throw down the disposal, turn the tap on and run the disposal every few days.

Clean Your Disposal After Use.

When you are using your garbage disposal, keep the water running for at least 20 seconds and after it has finished. Keep the water running and add a little dish soap to the drain. This will keep it clean and make sure all the waste particles have been removed. This will also help to keep it free from blockages.

You should clean your garbage disposal every week by running some ice cubes and a cup of rock salt through it. You could also clean it by using baking soda and vinegar or freeze cubes of white vinegar and grind these up once a week. These are some household items that you can use to clean your garbage disposal:

Ice cubes

White vinegar ice cubes

Ice cubes and a cup of rock salt

Baking soda and vinegar

Citrus fruit (orange, lemon or lime) or peel

Borax

Hot water and dish soap

Dish soap and baking soda

Boiling water

Things You Shouldn’t Put in Your Garbage Disposal.

Your garbage disposal is only designed to grind up biodegradable food. You should never add things like paper or plastic. There are also some fibrous foods that you should not add to your waste disposal as the fibres can cause the machine to jam. Here is a list of products that you should not be putting in your waste disposal.

Large bones. These will not go down your garbage disposal so throw them in your trash. Small bones like fish bones or small chicken bones are fine though.

Fruit pits, seeds or stones. Again, should not go into the disposal but can go into the compost or the trash. Personally, I would put them in the trash unless you are trying to grow cherry trees.

Grease or oil. Don’t pour fats and grease into your disposal as it will clog up and be a problem to clear.

This can also clog up your pipes as it expands once it has been chopped up.

The same as pasta, this will expand.

Corn husks. Very fibrous so can jam the garbage disposal or overwork it. Throw them in the compost.

Very fibrous so add to the compost.

Banana peel. Again, very fibrous so add to the compost. Plus, the potassium is an added bonus for your compost.

Potato peelings. Really starchy so throw them in the compost.

Onion skins.

Celery stalks.

Coffee grounds.

Any shells for example shrimp shells as they are too tough (and smelly!).

Anything that is not biodegradable like glass or cigarette butts.

I am sure you already know that your garbage disposal is likely to suffer from incorrect treatment. This can cause your garbage disposal to get clogged up or to even break down. Be aware of what you can and can’t put in your garbage disposal and if you care for it correctly, and maintain it regularly, it can last for many years.